


Soulbound

by Roses_Pens_and_Coffee



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Multi, Soulmate AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-14
Updated: 2019-11-19
Packaged: 2021-02-01 06:51:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,130
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21425851
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Roses_Pens_and_Coffee/pseuds/Roses_Pens_and_Coffee
Summary: Not everyone has a Soulbond. The tug and tightness that binds two people together and let's them know the other is still there.Caduceus does.Here is the journey of finding that bond and holding onto it. No one wants to feel that tug go slack.
Relationships: Caduceus Clay/Original Male Character
Comments: 7
Kudos: 33





	1. This Feeling

Light shines through the canopy of the forest, giving it an ethereal air about it. It's quiet. Small creatures, mammals, birds, and insects to name a few, scatter along the trees and forest floor. Going about their business with no care of the goings-on of the world beyond their home.

Deep in the forest is a grove and in it, a stone structure. A house most likely but some could mistake it for a ruined temple. But there was life still in the home. It may have dwindled in the past few years but there it was, a family in the still peace of the Blooming Grove.

That is how Constance Clay, the matriarch of the grove, found her youngest son Caduceus. Standing still at the edge of the grove amongst the graves of passing families that wanted funeral rites done for those who were no longer among them. She approached him slowly, not wanting to startle him. Not that she was really worried, Caduceus had grown more perceptive and a swivel of his ears toward her let Constance know her son already knew she was there.

She motions to a grave in front of them. "Paying respects my little beetle?" Her voice is slow as she speaks their mother tongue of Giant. The deep bassy tone pulling the young Firbolg away from his thoughts.

"Hmm?" He looks up at her now. "No I was just cleaning the graves and got caught up in my mind I suppose." He looks back down, a hand now clutching the cloth of his tunic, just below his sternum.

"You have been doing that a lot lately. Does it pain you?"

"No...and yes." Constance waits for Caduceus to explain. When none is given she moves his hand away and replaces it with her own. The light warmth of her healing magic fills his chest.

"It's still there."

Curious. She sensed nothing wrong with him. "Why don't you describe the pain to me."

"It's not really a pain. More like… a feeling." A quirk of her eyebrow prompts Caduceus to continue.

"It feels like someone is cradling my heart in their hands like a cup of tea." Caduceus looks down at his hand in concern and fear. "Sometimes it faintly feels like it's being squeezed and twisted…"

His expression turns to one of confusion as he hears his mother's soft laughter.

“Oh Caduceus. This isn’t a curse but a boon. A boon from the Wildmother herself.”

"What do you mean?" Constance lays a hand on her son's cheek, scratching the base of his ear lightly to relax him. She could see a myriad of emotions go through him: fear, excitement, and confusion to name a few.

"Why don't we finish tending to these graves and make some tea? That textile family makes good tea."

"It is my favorite." With that declaration they got to work. With two pairs of hands it is done quickly enough. Not that there was much work, the Clay family believed that keeping the graves well kept made sure the deceased were remembered. And a tidy bed made for a good rest.

The two make their way into the Sanctum, baskets of flowers and grasses at their hips. Caduceus couldn't wait for his questions to be answered. Even as he heard the whistle of the tea kettle he couldn't help but wonder, what is this feeling?

The high pitch whistle of the tea kettle grounds Caduceus to the now. A quiet afternoon in the Xorhaus and, ah yes, he was making some tea. Caduceus sets the kettle aside and places a few deep purple flowers into it.

Watching it steep, he thinks back on the memory. It has been years since he spoke with his mother and even more since they had that particular talk. He finds himself clutching that familiar spot on his chest. Old habits die hard he supposed. But this one he doesn't think he wants to stop. It reminds him that the feeling is still there, though he can feel it regardless. Maybe it was just a way to feel closer to it.

"Hi Caduceus~!" The voice of Jester lifts into the kitchen as she enters.

"Hello Jester. Care for some tea?" He begins to fill two cups, the aroma began to fill the small space.

"Sure, it'll go good with these." She takes out some muffins from the pantry. A souvenir from their last visit to Uthodurn. "We can share."

"I'd like that." The pair sit and enjoy their tea and sweets. Caduceus listens as Jester talk animatedly about her day so far and the plans for the days to come. Every once and a while he adds a bit to the conversation but he's content to listen. He likes Jester's enthusiasm. How she could get lost in conversation and pull others along with her.

It was the sudden silence that fell between them that concerned him, but Jester spoke up.

"You do that a lot." She puts her hand to her own chest. "Does it hurt? Because if it does I could heal it. I mean you could also do that but why haven't you done that??"

Caduceus looks down and sees that he is indeed clutching his chest again. It was such second nature that he didn't even realize he was doing it. He looks back up at the worried face of his friend and smiles fondly as he speaks.

"No need to worry Jester. Sometimes you need to let things run their course so we can get stronger from it. This,” he looks down at his chest for a moment and smiles fondly at the beat beneath his finger tips, “can’t be healed, and I don’t want it to go away.”

“Okay...but what is it?”

“It’s a bit of a story.” The sound of a chair squeaking closer made Caduceus laugh. Jester was now right next to him, elbows on the table and chin resting on her knuckles as she watched him with great focus.

“Alright, well, when I was younger, I guess what most would consider seventeen, I started feeling like my chest was being squeezed. It wasn’t painful per say so I didn’t tell anyone. There was no need to worry my family. It kept coming and going but never felt dangerous. Just confusing. My mother noticed so I had no choice but to tell her.” She would have gotten the truth out of him one way or another.

“She told me that I am soul bound. My soul and heart are intertwined with someone that the Wildmother thought would do me some good and hopefully I would do the same for them.”

To say Jester squealed would be an understatement. The blue Tiefling got out of her chair and proceeded to clap her hands as she hopped in place. And yes she also squealed. “Oh Caduceus that’s so wonderful! It’s like having a soulmate~!” She giggles and gives him a big hug, almost lifting him out of the chair. “Oh! So when you started getting the feeling they were just born yesterday!” They both laugh at the joke. His mother had made the same comment years ago. Jester sets him down and sits back in her chair. She was still buzzing with excitement.  
  
“Oh this is so romantic~ Hey,” she leans in closer, “how strong is the bond? Can you feel emotions and thoughts?? Can you feel, _ other things _?” She gives a suggestive eyebrow waggle.

“I don’t know about all of that. It’s like…" He was having a hard time finding the words to explain it simply and thoroughly. "Wait right here.” Caduceus gets up and walks into the living room. He rummages through a sewing kit on the table. Earlier he had been mending some of their clothes, adventuring had a tendency of leaving rips and tears in clothing. Caduceus returns and wraps some string around his pointer finger.

"Imagine a string was wrapped around your heart. Not too tight. More like a snug fit. The other end," he wraps the other end of the string on his other pointer finger. " is around another's heart, connecting the two together."

"The farther apart you are, the more taut the string becomes and the tighter it binds you." He demonstrates by moving his fingers apart until there is no slack between them.

"If one of the partners is hurt," he has Jester tug the long strand between his fingers, watching as it vibrates, "the other feels the ghosting of pain."

"If one dies," With his teeth he cuts the string. The loose strands fall slack against his hand. "The other feels it too. And then nothing." A hand goes to the familiar part of his chest, where he feels the comforting pressure of his bond.  
  
“I do this so I can better feel it. Even if it hurts, I know they are still alive.”


	2. Memory in the Mud

Thick moisture hangs in the air, clinging to the flora of the swamp. It is alive with the sounds of insects and the occasional toad. One such toad croaks as a young child chases it through the mud.

"Come on little friend. I won't hurt you." Inching ever closer… "I just want to get a better look at you." The child is so close, now to just reach out and-

"Saruuk?" A voice calls from a distance. The child looks up and sees their father in the marshy fields of their farm. They turn their attention back to the toad only to find it had disappeared. With a whine he picks himself up from the mud and sprints back home, mindful of where his feet fall.

The hearty laugh of his father greets him as Saruuk enters the small wooden fence around their farm. "Look at you. All covered in mud. You're going to need a bath in the creek for sure."

Saruuk looks down and winces. His beige tunic is covered in mud that was beginning to dry and harden. Dirt clings under his nails and oh his trousers fared no better. "There was a toad...I just wanted a better look.

"Instead of harvesting the roots and tubers I see." His father, Kacis, points to an abandoned basket that barely held any crop. Saruuk felt guilty but was at least happy his father didn't sound angry. More amused, if the swishing of his spaded tail was any indication.

"I'm sorry Pa… I'll finish the harvest." An ashen red hand squeezes his shoulder as his father crouches to his level. "How about I help you and you tell me all about this toad you were chasing?" A fanged smile is mirrored by a tusked one.

The pair speak as they work. Saruuk takes to telling of the elusive toad and how he was so very close to catching it. It seemed the toad grew bigger and bigger the more Saruuk spoke of it. Such is the way of child storytellers.

Saruuk stops listening as his father speaks of the goings on in the nearby town. Not to say he wasn't interested, it had been a while since he went to town. He was just more focused on the feeling in his chest.

The feeling...it had always been there. Ever since he could remember. He had grown so used to it in his eleven years of life that it wasn't usually noticeable.

Saruuk found it to be rather persistent and annoying lately.

"Pa… My chest hurts again…” 

Kacis takes his son’s hand and uses it to rub slow soft circles on the affected area. “They seem very excited lately don’t they?”

“Anxious.” Saruuk stops his father, his motions weren’t helpful. “They’re anxious and nervous. I wish they’d just calm down already.” Kacis wishes he could help his son but he didn’t fully understand what he was going through. He and his wife didn’t share a soulbond, not that they needed one to know they were meant for eachother. “If you can feel their emotions, then maybe you can share yours. Try to reassure them.”

Saruuk looks down at his hand. He never thought of that. It made sense really. Putting a hand on his sternum, Saruuk closes his eyes and focuses on the feelings of his bond. They were anxious . Been so the past few days. As he focused he noticed the anxiety was laced with sadness. It envelopes him and for a moment he can feel its full force. He didn’t wish this feeling on anyone. Taking a new approach, Saruuk thinks about the things that bring him warmth and happiness: his family, the swamp and all its creatures…

The prospect of meeting his soulbond one day. He thinks of sending this warmth to them, making their sadness go away.

“It worked.” He opens his eyes, excitement clear on his face as he looks at his father. “It worked! I could feel their emotions calm down.” Kacis musses his son’s hair, effectively getting mud in it causing his hair to cling and stick out around his horns.

“I’m sure they appreciate it Saruuk.” It warms his heart seeing his son so happy. He hopes the bond is worth it. There’s a rumble of distant thunder as the skies darken. “Why don't we go inside and your mother can make her famous stew for dinner?"

He didn't have much time before he was being pulled inside by his son. Their boots sinking in the mud with each jovial step.

The rains finally lighten after days of constant downpour. A figure stands outside with their eyes closed, face to the sky. The pitter-patter of droplets against the canvas of tents and armor, whistle of the wind, the croaks of toads. It was a song the Wildmother gifted them all with. The rain soaked through the leather right down to the figure’s bones. They didn’t care, just relishing the calm simplicity of the moment. The warmth inside was all they needed.

“Hey! Saruuk!” He looks up at his best friend Lethoden, an elven woman with the demeanor of a childling "Quit fondlin your breastplate, we have border patrol.”

Saruuk looks down and catches his hand in that familiar spot. It seems like he's gotten so used to doing it. "Alright alright no need to shout."

"Oh there is a need." Lethoden says as she reaches her friend. "Can't get you to listen when you're all dreamy eyed." She dodges a swipe at her shoulder. "Now hurry up! The quicker we do this the sooner I can be in my tent and stop freezin my tits off."

Saruuk watches his friend make her way towards the forest. The elf has wrapped her cloak so tightly around her frame it was a wonder she could move at all. Saruuk almost felt bad. He wraps his own cloak around himself and follows suit.

The pair walk through the forest, following an optimal path. It is still, most inhabitants in shelter against the elements. They still kept a watchful eye on their surroundings. "So," Lethoden started as she kept watch of the tree line, "you've been touching your breast plate more often than usual. That bond given you trouble?" Ah there it was. Concern hidden under base humor.

"Aw Lethoden. Are you worried about me?" The elf swings to face him. "No!" Her face is contorted into what is supposed to be anger? Honestly it looked to Saruuk that she was just pouting, her cheeks all puffed up like a little rodent.

He couldn't help but pinch one of them.

"Ow! You-" she seats at his hand with no real malice. She was smiling after all. "I just don't want my ass eaten just because you're too distracted daydreamin to watch my back big guy." She stalks further down the path. "And I'll kick their ass if they keep annoying you."

Saruuk puts his hand on his chest and smiles. There was once a time where he would be annoyed at the constant feeling of another one tethered to him.

"It's okay. It lets me know they're still there."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I keep Saruuk's race a secret so you guys can kinda figure it out. It is a subrace but even still I have him as a lesser version of it.
> 
> I'm also going to attempt drawing him.


	3. A Lull in the Conversation

Days go by and all is well in the forest. The early morning rays peek out from behind the spent storm clouds that drift south. The grass sparkles as the light hits the collected dew from each blade. Droplets cling to the edges of yellow and fuschia leaves before tumbling. In a meadow, tents are set up. Some big enough for one, others for three.

One by one, people wake up to the sounds of birds and the pitter-patter of raindrops on their tents. Each one splits off to start their daily routine and meet with their squad mates. One such group sit around a campfire on water soaked logs as their Captain goes over reports and makes breakfast. Lethoden is the last to join the group and sits next to Saruuk who is nodding off every so often.

"Oi! Are my reports boring you?" Captain Hesceli, a female gnome who was getting on in years, looks at Saruuk with annoyance in her eyes. "No Ma'am. I just didn't sle-" he tries to hide his yawn with the back of his hand, "-ep well last night." The rest of the squadron snicker but fall silent at one look from their Captain. She snorts at their childish behavior and goes back to the pot on the fire.

She ladels the contents and let's it slowly pour back into the pot to check the thickness. Once satisfied with the results she beckons everyone to come forth with their bowls. "We'll discuss your lack of sleep later." She says as she fills Saruuk's bowl with a thick deep brown soup that had bits of foliage and meat in it. "And maybe a dip in the river will help you lad." The wrinkles at the edges of her eyes become more prominent as she smiles and shoos him so she can finish serving the rest.

With a sheepish smile he sits back down, the others already tucking into their meal. Forgoing utensils, Saruuk lifts the bowl to his lips and tilts back. The tastes of the earth coat his tongue as he chews the roots and fungi. Lively chatter erupts as everyone enjoys their meals. It was nice to have this peaceful moment before their day full of work.

To his right, Lethoden leans close to get his attention. She just points to one of their own, a Faun who was staring into his bowl, ears moving around to pinpoint a sound. He looks up and hails the Captain, the conversations don’t even break. They whisper for a few moments, the Captain looking around every so often. She discreetly calls them to quiet down and listen. For the first few minutes it is hard to wade through the chatter of distant conversations throughout the camp. Just as they focus fully they can hear it.

Nothing. No birds chirping. No insects or any animals for a distance. The forest should be awake and alive with activity by now. There was a weary stillness to the forest. Those that have them slowly put their hands on their weapons.

Waiting.

In Rosohna, the citizens are already busy with their day. The marketplace is full of people selling their wares and those that are buying. Jester elects today as the perfect day for shopping.

It doesn't take long for Fjord, Yasha and Beau to split off from the main group and go to a nearby tavern. Caleb makes quick work of finding most of the items on his components list and goes to one of the… _ seedier _book stores in town. Nott decides to follow Caduceus and Jester as they shop. She had found most of what she wanted for her studies but couldn't pass on the opportunity to find some hidden gems to send back to her family.

The two clerics didn't mind. They loved the company of their friends, especially Jester. Nott and her were gushing over dresses, simple ones for a casual stroll through town.

"Oh Nott, I think this one is really you~" The blue Tiefling was holding a yellow dress up to the Goblin.

"Eeh yellow and green? I don't know Jester…"

"Oh come on. Caduceus. Don't you think Nott would look nice in this dress?"

The Firbolg looks up from the silk sash he had in his hands. "I think it would look lovely." He smiles. "Like Buttercups in grass."

Nott looks at him with a look of disbelief.

"I'm sure Yeza would love it too." He adds as an offhand comment, looking back at the sash. It was similar to Beau's...maybe he could dye the ends pink? The girls decide to get the dress, along with a leather jacket.

A pain goes through Caduceus. He had been feeling small pin pricks of pain all throughout this morning but this one felt different. It was sharper. More intense. There was a feeling of panic and determination. _ They must be in some sort of fight… _ He has experienced his Soulbond in fights before. This one wasn't the first to hurt this much but it still worried him. At least they were few and far between.

"Caduceus!" Nott calls shrilly from the entrance. "Come on it's almost lunchtime!"

Jester peeks over at him. "And we still need to meet with Essek."

After a little debate with himself, Caduceus buys the sash and rejoins the two. "Is your bond acting up again?" Jester asks with sincere worry.

"It's alright. I just think they're in a fight. But I can still feel them so that's good."

"You know," Nott looks up at him as they walk towards the Lucid Bastion, "you never fully explained that."

He has to smile at that. "_ Jester _ never fully explained. You just never asked me." He knew that telling Jester about his bond most likely meant the others would know soon enough. He wasn't angry that she confided to Nott and Fjord who would of course tell Caleb and Beau who would both tell Yasha. The only reason he didn't tell them himself was because he saw no need to. Privacy wasn't the issue in the least. Yasha and Caleb seemed to understand right away while it took longer to explain to Beau and Fjord. Jester assured she hit all the important points with Nott.

He should have known better.

The walk is filled with regular chatter and the occasional questions towards Caduceus. It was pleasant and welcome. Even if he had to explain the same thing a few times. It was during a lull in the conversation that Caduceus stumbles. He doesn't fully fall, catching himself on the wall of a shop. This pain was…

"Caduceus? Are you ok?"

He says nothing. Trying to focus and gather the right words.

"I don't feel anything."


	4. Self Care

He's vaguely aware of his surroundings. He can hear Jester and Nott but it isn't clear. He can feel the cold stone against his back as his friends help him sit. It's so hard to focus on anything outside of himself.

He doesn't speak at all, just focuses on the feel of his shaking fingertips to his chest.

In the Blooming Grove Caduceus had seen loss. It was his duty to help those that came to his home. Help them with the burial. Help them with the grief. Help them move on. _ Is he okay? I don't know Nott… _ Even when his own family began leaving one by one he didn't feel tremendous grief. Sure there was loneliness but the bliss of not knowing their fate left the hope of their return.

But this…

Where once there was warmth now sat a heavy emptiness that weighed him down. It left pains of longing… like someone one who is starved and the pain fills them. _ Caduceus please answer us! _ He knows someone is calling to him. To feel this sort of loss for someone he had never met? He was so used to the warmth that he fears he took it all for granted.

He can feel pin pricks of warmth in his chest. It starts out small but just as suddenly as it's disappearance, warmth comes flooding back to him. It was a shock to his system to say the least. He could feel the bond again, it was weak but there.

"Caduceus!" He must of looked very distraught as he can now feel Jester violently shake him. He hisses when the back of his head makes contact with the wall behind him. Jester apologies profusely as he rubs the sore spot. A welt but no bleeding, that was good.

"You scared us!" Nott vigorously wipes the tears that were welling up in her eyes. She was worried but hid it under a thin blanket of anger. Soon he had an armful of Tiefling and Goblin. They were getting a few looks but could care less. The three feeling relief for their own reasons.

"I think…" He had felt that kind of warmth before once. There was the explosion and- "I think they were Revivified." He remembers the small warmth from the diamond putting life back into him. He suddenly felt awful. His bond must have known when he died. If it was anything like what he just felt…

He needed to watch out for himself a little better.

"Do you need a moment?" Notts motherly instincts were kicking in. "Maybe we should go home and talk to Essek later. Jester could you send him a message and ask him to meet us there?" 

“Yeah yeah I can do that.” She thinks of the words but a hand on her shoulder stops her. “I’ll be fine you two.” Caduceus steadies himself against the wall and stands. “If the circumstances were different, I'd agree but I just need to catch my breath.”

For the third time that day, Saruuk awakes. First was the morning, to get breakfast. He remembers a great pain in his thigh, darkness then bright light. There was a beautiful tree, much bigger than he’s ever seen. The canopy shaded a stream that looked like blue topaz. There was a face among the leaves, smiling at him. Then he was pulled back as if being dragged through a tunnel. The tree faded to nothing. He woke for the second time, being dragged further into the camp as the sounds of battle ragged around him. He was forced back into darkness.

The third time it’s midday, it's quiet again. Not completely but there was calm...and dread hanging in the air. He was vaguely aware of two others with him in what presumed was a tent. Then he feels a fist connect to his shoulder, fully waking him.

“Ow, what the hell?!”

“Oh look.” Lethoden sat to his right, arms crossed over her chest, looking at him in disdain. “He’s awake and well.”

“Please Lethoden…” The Faun from earlier sat at his left, hands aglow with divine magic. “Don’t undo my work by hurting him more.” Warmth fill him again as the magic takes it’s hold.

She scoffs but makes no move to hit him again.” Alright Anish. But you,” she points an accusatory finger at Saruuk. “Don’t go charging in and getting swarmed by Redcaps again.” She pokes his chest to emphasize her words. “Or else I’m going to have you brought back just so I can do you in myself, I promise you.”

He knew fully well that she would make good on that promise.

"I won't, I promise." She gives him a look of disbelief. With a roll of the eyes he raises a hand. "Warden's Honor."

Lethoden scoffs but seems satisfied with the answer. From his left, Anish sighs deeply. "I've spent all my spells today with the other wounded in the squad. I can bandage the wound but that's all I can do until tomorrow. Even then I may need to help the other Clerics."

"Look after the others. The worst has past, I just need to rest."

Yes, death was the worst possible outcome. Saruuk lays back on the bedroll and thinks back to the time he had experienced his Bond's death. It was so sudden... the pain and agony it left behind. No one should feel that.

He would make it up to his bond if they ever met. For now, all he could do was exercise proper self care.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Caduceus, all those emotions in less than a minute.
> 
> I hope the split perspectives is done well enough. Things are really coming together.


	5. Close to Home

As the group conviene at the Lucid Bastion they are guided through its marble halls. All is quiet except for their echoing footsteps. They still had no idea why they were summoned by The Shadowhand and it, coupled with the quiet, left them with a sense of foreboding The scent of woody incense wafts into their noses as Essek ushers them into his study. The scent is thick in the air but underneath is something more.

"I apologise for the smell." Papers and things shift around as drawers are opened. "I needed something to mask the smell of this." Essek places a small jar onto a table. A black viscous liquid rolls within, clinging to the sides of the glass. Elements of it shine a deep purple as the light catches it every now and then.

"What the hell is that?" With a scowl Fjord backs up from the offending object. Even though it's closed, the smell seeps through.

"In short," Essek begins as Caleb takes the jar and inspects it, "it's a soil sample from one of our farms." Pieces of parchment are lain on the table, each scribbled with notes. "With the war we've been having trouble with our food supplies but now it is worse with this," he takes a moment to find a word for it, "this blight, if you will."

"This isn't like any blight I've seen." Caduceus watches the liquid from over Caleb's head. He reaches a hand towards it. "May I?" Caleb nods and hands him the jar. He turns it in his hand, inspecting it closely.

There's a scramble to cover noses as Caduceus opens the jar. At first it seems like there is nothing, then the scent of death and decay creeps up and fills his nostrils. He has to take a moment to compose himself. It was a rotting smell that, even though he had dealt with the dead in the grove, was usually reserved for the dead already in the ground. Before any objections, he sticks a finger in, just enough to coat the pad of it. It takes a bit of a tug to free his finger from the jar, the liquid is tacky and clings like tar.

He swears a tendril chases his finger for a small distance before joining the rest of its form. Caduceus looks at the black smudge on his finger. There was no pain but he could only imagine how it would feel to have that inside.

"Perhaps," Essek takes and closes the jar, "we shouldn't keep touching it."

Beau steps up. "How long has this been going on?"

"A few weeks."

"Why tell us now?"

"Well Beauregard I thought I had no reason to. Pardon me, but I don't need to go to the Heroes of the Dynasty for every problem we face.” After a moment of heated gazes exchanged by the two, Essek sighs. “I’m sorry.” Rubbing his eyes he sits heavily in a chair. “You have been away for a while and I couldn’t wait for your return and let this fester.” He looks at his notes. “At first I thought this was a systematic attack by the Empire to limit our resources. I sent my own agents to weed out who would be doing this and if there was a cure.” Essek unrolls two maps, one of the Dynasty and the surrounding lands, the other of the Empire and theirs. From a drawer he places circular black markers on the maps. "It seems both sides are being affected."

Huddling over the map, the Nein watch Essek place the last marker. At first glance there didn’t seem to be a discernable pattern. Some areas had more markers than others. Fjord moves a few from different clusters. “The ones with more markers, they are worse off?”

“Yes. Unless the Empire is hurting their own people, this may very well be a third party. After all the reports it seems the worst spot is here in the East. It’s farmland for the small village of Mi Salif. It’s neutral land, no political allegiance with Dynasty or Empire.”

“Is there anything weird about the place?” Jester pipes up. “Like any ghost stories." She seems a little too excited at the prospect.

Essek shakes his head. "Nothing like that but the village is," he drags a finger from the village to a forest, "about an hour away from The Whispering Woods."

"Whispering Woods?" Beau leans over Caleb to get a better look. "That sounds familiar…" She tries to reach the back of her mind. Chanting the name over and over to help her memory. "It has to do the Fey, I think."

Once the moment was over, Essek chimes in. "The Whispering Woods are connected to the Feywild. Some of its energies leak into the forest and influence it. Like a whisper."

“Would you be able to get us there?” Essek looks up at Caleb. He bites his cheek as he thinks over the request. At this point, he was just earning more and more favors from them. “I can get you to the village. It’s an hour to the forest but if you want to go further in you need to speak to its wardens. They are sort of protectors of the veil between the Fey and our Plane.”

"Will they cause trouble?"

"Not if you don't. They're fairly sensible."

"Have you lost your senses!" The shrill yell of Captain Hesceli rings through the camp as she makes her way to a small group of Wardens who were trying to repair parts of the camp despite injuries they themselves have. Saruuk could only look on at their terrified faces as they were scolded.

"Captain at it again?" Wood creaks as Lethoden sits next to him at the fire pit. "Yeah," he pokes at the long since burned pieces of tinder, "almost was in their place just for coming out here to sit."

"For a spit fyre of a gnome, she cares a lot. Like a really scary grandmother."

"Don't let her ever hear you say that."

"Hear what?" Nearly tumbling from the log the pair look at the annoyed face of their Captain. They're a heaping stuttering mess. Growing...amused by this, the Captain stops them, a slight smile on her face. "Whatever it is it can wait. Lethoden, you are with me. We're going to the village to see if and of those blasted Redcaps got through. We'll also be checking on the farmers. See if their crops have gotten any better." The elf salutes her and runs up to gather her things.

"Now you," Amber eyes meet his green, "you are to rest up. If I hear any funny business, you will be on late night watch and patrol for months. Understand me?"

"Yes Captain."

"We'll be back tomorrow. Take care of yourself… AND EACH OTHER!" The rest of the squadron answer with affirmations.

Saruuk watches as the two leave. It had been some time since he had visited the village, the last being with Lethoden a few months prior for the Spring Festival. Now the leaves were turning as they do and the days grow shorter and shorter. It takes all but ten minutes of the Captain leaving for everyone to get back to the repairs, even Saruuk. The physically intensive work was left to the more able bodied. As much as the injured should rest, the numbers of the camp had halved since that morning. Some slain in the attack and others sent deeper into the forest to make contact with other encampments.

Work needed to be done. And they supposed that this counted as watching out for each other. It takes the better part of the day for the mess to be managed. The sun begins to set and bathes the camp in an orange glow. Fires crackle and pots boil as dinner is prepared, some semblance of normalcy returning to the camp.

Saruuk sits on a bedroll as Anish redresses his wounds. He sways as sleep envelopes his senses, being lulled by the fires, laughter, the steady beat of his heart…

Suddenly he jerks awake and as Saruuk sits there and Caduceus steadies himself from the teleportation that brings the Mighty Nein to the outskirts of the village, they focus on the bond.

It had become lighter as the distance between them suddenly grew shorter.


End file.
